Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in Harlem, NYC, on 1 Ma… Read Full Bio ↴Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in Harlem, NYC, on 1 March 1927; died 25 April 2023) was an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Caribbean-American pop star, he popularized Jamaican mento folk songs which was marketed as Trinbagonian Calypso musical style with an international audience in the 1950s. His breakthrough album Calypso, released in 1956, was the first million-selling LP by a single artist.

Belafonte is perhaps best known for singing the "Banana Boat Song", with its signature lyric "Day-O". Throughout his career, he was an advocate for civil rights and humanitarian causes.

Belafonte won three Grammy Awards (including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award), an Emmy Award, and a Tony Award. In 1989, he received the Kennedy Center Honors. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994. In 2014, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Academy's 6th Annual Governors Awards and in 2022 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Early Influence category and was the oldest living person to have received the honor.

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Mary's Boy Child
Harry Belafonte Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Long time ago in Bethlehem
So the Holy Bible say
Mary's boy child, Jesus Christ
Was born on Christmas day

Hark, now hear the angels sing
A new King born today
And man will live forevermore

Because of Christmas day

While shepherds watched their flock by night
Them see a bright new shining star
Them hear a choir sing
A music seemed to come from afar

Now Joseph and his wife, Mary
Come to Bethlehem that night
Them find no place to born she child
Not a single room was in sight

Hark, now hear the angels sing
A new King born today
And man will live forevermore
Because of Christmas day

By and by, them find a little nook
In a stable all forlorn
And in a manger, cold and dark
Mary's little Boy was born

Hark, now hear the angels sing
A new King born today

And man will live forevermore
Because of Christmas day

Overall Meaning

The song "Mary's Boy Child" by Harry Belafonte is a Christmas carol that retells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, as recounted in the Holy Bible. The first verse sets the scene in Bethlehem, where Mary gave birth to Jesus on Christmas day. The next verse focuses on the angels, who proclaim the good news of the new king's arrival, and that man will live forevermore because of Christmas day. In the third verse, the shepherds who were watching their flocks by night see a bright new shining star and hear a choir singing, making them aware of the birth of the Savior.

The fourth verse tells of Joseph and Mary's struggle to find a place to stay the night of the birth, as there was no room in the inn. Finally, they find a little nook in a stable where Mary gives birth to Jesus in a manger, surrounded by animals. Throughout the song, the repeated refrain of "Hark, now hear the angels sing" underscores the joyousness of the occasion and the reverence due to the newborn king.

"Mary's Boy Child" has become a beloved song for the Christmas season, reminding Christians worldwide of the miraculous gift of God's son. The carol has an upbeat tempo, allowing listeners to sing along joyfully, while the story it tells inspires awe and wonder at the mystery of God becoming human. Overall, the song is a beautiful reminder of the true meaning of Christmas, with its focus on God's love and the message of salvation.

Line by Line Meaning

Long time ago in Bethlehem
Many years in the past, in the town of Bethlehem

So the Holy Bible say
As stated in the Holy Bible

Mary's boy child, Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ, who was Mary's son

Was born on Christmas day
Was born on the day Christians celebrate as Christmas

Hark, now hear the angels sing
Listen to the angels as they sing

A new king born today
A new ruler has been born on this day

And man will live forevermore
And humanity will have eternal life

Because of Christmas day
Because of the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas

While shepherds watched their flocks by night
As the shepherds were watching over their flocks at night

Them see a bright new shining star
They saw a new bright star shining in the sky

Them hear a choir sing
They heard a choir singing